All Too Late

Chapter 9 Emergency Contact

“That won’t be necessary. Old Mrs. Macari is in poor health, so it would be better if you don’t tell her, lest she worry for me,” Kathleen said.

“Have you been alone throughout the years?” Gemma hung her head low as she sat beside Kathleen.

“I suppose,” Kathleen replied.

“You suppose? What does that mean?” Gemma was confused.

Kathleen smiled ruefully.

Ever since marrying Samuel, she was mostly alone even though it seemed as if they lived together.

“Kathleen, you’re quite lucky. You at least have Old Mrs. Macari.” Gemma sounded depressed. “My brother and I are different. Neither of us was of legal age. Nobody wanted to adopt the both of us together, so we were forcefully separated when adopted by different families.”

“So that was what happened.” Kathleen pulled her lips into a thin line.

“Jeez, why am I even telling you this?” Gemma’s expression reverted to its former state. “I need to go to a night shift at the hospital later on. You take care.”

“It’s fine. I’ll leave after getting some rest.” Kathleen knew she shouldn’t have met up with Gemma, for both of them had varying degrees of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Their parents’ passing had caused great hurt to their young and fragile hearts.

Because there were hurt that would never heal, these kinds of people had come to a tacit agreement to not meet up with each other.

Without meeting each other, they would never be forced to recall those painful memories.

“Kathleen!” Gemma sounded slightly exasperated, causing Kathleen to pause for a moment.

Realizing that she might have said that a little too loud, Gemma softened her tone. “It’s fine. This place is your home too. I have clean clothes in my room, so you can put them on after taking a shower. There’s still some oatmeal that I made last night in the kitchen. Have some after heating it.”

Gemma went to get changed as she spoke and was ready to leave after putting on her coat.

“Gemma, are you working in a hospital now?” asked Kathleen.

“I work as a nurse now.” Gemma didn’t look back. “Kathleen, I’ve already moved on, so it’s fine. It’s okay even if you have troubles that you can’t talk about to me. Just stay without worrying about anything else.”

She left after saying that.

a long

heaviest blows during the incident because both of them had witnessed first-hand

managed to force them back when she lowered her

entered Gemma’s room and took a change of clothes before

on her belly in the mirror before reaching a fair hand out to caress it softly. “Do

fact that it was Samuel who had put her in

being. He must be all lovey-dovey

leaning against his Maybach

was chain-smoking, so cigarette butts were

dawn, but he

phone tightly

my life entirely? No! I

Macari!” Tyson ran over to him. “We’ve found the drunken man

Samuel ordered

two bodyguards brought the drunken man over to him, the man was

woman?” Samuel lifted his gaze, a distant

was jostled awake and was aware that Samuel wasn’t someone he could afford to cross, so he said,

off.” Samuel didn’t even

the bodyguards immediately unsheathed

man fell to his knees before Samuel while begging for mercy, “Please don’t chop my hands

“Speak.” Samuel looked intimidating.

just had a divorce. Lust overtook me when I saw a beautiful woman standing beside the road, but I didn’t do anything to her. A man saved her

hand did you use to

man dared not answer

he doesn’t have the guts to reply.” Samuel’s exquisite jawline

It’s this hand!” The

smoking, Samuel said, “How dare you lie? You touched her with both hands. Chop

drunken man nearly

you’ve already made up your

his hands off with

before his other hand was also

place,” ordered Samuel with a stern

“Yes, Sir!”

two bodyguards left, dragging the drunken man away with them, while the other bodyguards stayed behind to clean up